Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical terminology, the term "stiff" is often used metaphorically to describe a state of obstinacy or stubbornness, particularly in relation to one's heart or neck. This imagery is frequently employed in the Scriptures to depict a resistance to divine guidance or correction, often leading to spiritual and moral consequences.
Stiff-NeckedThe phrase "stiff-necked" is a common biblical expression used to describe individuals or groups who are obstinate and unwilling to submit to God's authority. This term is derived from the imagery of an ox or other draft animal that refuses to be guided by the yoke. In the Old Testament, the Israelites are often described as a "stiff-necked people" due to their repeated disobedience and rebellion against God.
In
Exodus 32:9 , the Lord says to Moses, "I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people." This declaration comes after the Israelites create and worship the golden calf, demonstrating their quick departure from God's commandments. Similarly, in
Deuteronomy 9:6 , Moses reminds the Israelites, "Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people."
The concept of being stiff-necked is not limited to the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Stephen, the first Christian martyr, uses this term in his speech before the Sanhedrin. In
Acts 7:51 , he accuses the Jewish leaders, saying, "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did."
Stiff-HeartedThe notion of a "stiff heart" is closely related to being stiff-necked and refers to an inner hardness or resistance to God's will. This condition is often associated with pride and a refusal to repent or change one's ways. In
Ezekiel 2:4 , God describes the people of Israel as "obstinate and stubborn," indicating their unwillingness to heed His prophets.
Spiritual ImplicationsThe spiritual implications of being stiff-necked or stiff-hearted are significant. Such attitudes hinder one's relationship with God and can lead to judgment and discipline. The Bible consistently calls for a softening of the heart and a willingness to be led by the Spirit. In
Proverbs 29:1 , it is written, "A man who remains stiff-necked after much reproof will suddenly be shattered beyond recovery."
Call to RepentanceThroughout Scripture, there is a call to repentance and humility as a remedy for spiritual stiffness. God desires a contrite heart and a spirit willing to follow His commands. In
2 Chronicles 30:8 , Hezekiah urges the people, "Do not be stiff-necked as your fathers were; submit to the LORD and come to His sanctuary, which He has consecrated forever."
The biblical narrative consistently emphasizes the importance of yielding to God's authority and being receptive to His guidance. The imagery of stiffness serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of pride and disobedience, urging believers to cultivate a heart that is responsive to the Lord.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
superl.) Not easily bent; not flexible or pliant; not limber or flaccid; rigid; firm; as, stiff wood, paper, joints.
2. (superl.) Not liquid or fluid; thick and tenacious; inspissated; neither soft nor hard; as, the paste is stiff.
3. (superl.) Firm; strong; violent; difficult to oppose; as, a stiff gale or breeze.
4. (superl.) Not easily subdued; unyielding; stubborn; obstinate; pertinacious; as, a stiff adversary.
5. (superl.) Not natural and easy; formal; constrained; affected; starched; as, stiff behavior; a stiff style.
6. (superl.) Harsh; disagreeable; severe; hard to bear.
7. (superl.) Bearing a press of canvas without careening much; as, a stiff vessel; -- opposed to crank.
8. (superl.) Very large, strong, or costly; powerful; as, a stiff charge; a stiff price.
Greek
4644. sklerotrachelos --stiff-necked...stiff-necked. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: sklerotrachelos Phonetic
Spelling: (sklay-rot-rakh'-ay-los) Short Definition: stubborn Definition:
stiff...4723. steira -- barren
... barren. A contraction from stereos (asstiff and unnatural); "sterile" -- barren.
see GREEK stereos. (steira) -- 4 Occurrences. (steirai) -- 1 Occurrence....
4642. skleros -- hard, rough
... 4642 -- properly, hard (because out); (figuratively)stiff, stubborn (unyielding)
describing people who "won't budge" (bend, submit), or what is ....
4731. stereos -- hard, firm
... hard, strong, sure. From histemi;stiff, ie Solid, stable (literally or figuratively) --
stedfast, strong, sure. see GREEK histemi. (sterea) -- 1 Occurrence....
Strong's Hebrew
6203. oreph -- back of the neck, neck...stiff-necked. From araph; the nape or back of the neck (as declining); hence, the
back generally (whether literal or figurative) -- back ((
stiff-)neck((-ed).
...2389. chazaq -- strong, stout, mighty
... harder, hottest, impudent, loud, mighty, sore,stiff-hearted, stronger. From
chazaq; strong (usu. In a bad sense, hard, bold, violent...
6277. athaq -- forward, arrogant
... arrogancy, grievous hard things,stiff. From athaq in the sense of license; impudent --
arrogancy, grievous (hard) things,stiff. see HEBREW athaq. 6276, 6277...
3820. leb -- inner man, mind, will, heart
... the centre of anything -- + care for, comfortably, consent, X considered,
courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double...
7186. qasheh -- hard, severe
... churlish, cruel, grievous, hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, + impudent, obstinate,
prevailed, rough(-ly), sore, sorrowful,stiff((necked)), stubborn, + in...
7185. qashah -- to be hard, severe or fierce
... be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would)
hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make)stiff(-en, (-necked))....
Library
Stiff-Necked Idolaters and Pliable Christians
...STIFF-NECKED IDOLATERS AND PLIABLE CHRISTIANS. 'Hath a nation changed their
gods, which are yet no gods? but My people have changed...
The Highway of Holiness
... To be broken means to be "not I, but Christ." There is in every one of us a proud,
stiff-necked "I." Thestiff neck began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and...
Answers to Prayer
... together irregularly. Her hip-joint wasstiff, so that she was never able
to walk without the support of a cane or crutch. For eight...
We Hear Much of the Human Error which Accepts what is Sham and...
... We can see somethingstiff and quaint in their mode of expression, just as our
descendants will see somethingstiff and quaint in our coarsest slum sketch or...
The Faithful Servant
... that he was dumb and partly deaf, and further to their amazement and admiration,
they discovered that his right leg and arm were toostiff for ordinary use and...
How Saints May Help the Devil
... Their backs are asstiff as if an iron rod were in the center, they come up to the
house of God, and it is a Christian doctrine that God has made of one flesh...
Distinguishing Grace
... I wish that some of thestiff-necked gentry of our churches would at times
recollect this. Their condition is smooth as oil, and...
Thomas and Jesus
... Mary, the lover; Peter, the penitent; the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, the
thinkers; Thomas, thestiff unbeliever"the presence of the Christ is enough...
John Chapter i. 32, 33
... His are those burning words: "Yestiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart and ears,
ye do always resist the Holy Spirit." Mighty impetuosity; but it is the dove...
Impressive Phrases
... force, vigor, power, and energy. formal, precise,stiff, and methodical.... rigid,
inelastic,stiff, and unbending. rough, rude, gruff, and surly....
Thesaurus
Stiff (23 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (superl.) Not easily bent; not flexible or pliant;
not limber or flaccid; rigid; firm; as,
stiff wood, paper, joints.
...Stiff-necked (18 Occurrences)
Stiff-necked. Stiffnecked,Stiff-necked. Stiffness .... (a.) Stubborn; inflexibly
obstinate; contumacious; as,stiff-necked pride; astiff-necked people. Int....
Stiff-hearted (1 Occurrence)
Stiff-hearted. Stiffhearted,Stiff-hearted. Stiffnecked . Noah Webster's
Dictionary... Multi-Version ConcordanceStiff-hearted (1 Occurrence)....
Stiffnecked (9 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible EncyclopediaSTIFF-NECKED.... If an ox was hard to control
or stubborn, it was "hard of neck," orstiff-necked....
Obstinate (12 Occurrences)
... NAS NIV). Exodus 32:9 Yahweh said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and
behold, they are astiff-necked people. (See NAS). Exodus...
Stiffened (7 Occurrences)
... Stiffened (7 Occurrences). 2 Kings 17:14 And they did not give ear, but became
stiff-necked, like their fathers who had no faith in the Lord their God....
Stubborn (40 Occurrences)
... (a.) Firm as a stub or stump;stiff; unbending; unyielding... Deuteronomy 10:16 Circumcise
therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no morestiff-necked....
Stiffen (3 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To makestiff; to make less pliant or flexible; as, to stiffen cloth with
starch.... 4. (vi) To becomestiff or stiffer, in any sense of the adjective....
Necks (28 Occurrences)
... your orders and went against your decisions (which, if a man keeps them, will be
life to him), and turning their backs on you, made their necksstiff and did...
Neck (97 Occurrences)
... preferable to a life of evil influence upon even the little ones of God's household
(Matthew 18:6 Mark 9:42 Luke 17:2). To "make the neckstiff," to "harden...
Resources
What does the Bible say about being stiff-necked? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is unrepentance? What does it mean to be unrepentant? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about being stubborn / stubbornness? | GotQuestions.orgStiff: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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